India and Canada are in a diplomatic conflict over the Sikh issue. The two countries expelled each other's senior diplomats, and ** negotiations were suspended. This incident may affect the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States and further complicate the attitude of Western countries towards India.
Sikhism is a religion that originated in the Indian state of Punjab and is the fifth largest religion in the world. Sikhs, who make up only 2% of India's population, have long demanded the creation of an independent state in Punjab called "Khalistan". This demand has been strongly opposed by India, and there have been many violent clashes between the two sides.
Canada has one of the largest Sikh populations, with about 770,000 people practicing Sikhism. They also have some organizations and activities in Canada that support the "Khalistan Movement", but most of them are peaceful. Canada** has also not interfered too much in this to respect the religious freedom of Sikhs.
However, India** is very unhappy with this attitude of Canada, believing that Canada condones Sikh separatists and threatens India's sovereignty and dignity. There has been a lot of friction and controversy between the two countries because of the Sikh issue.
Recently, relations between the two countries have deteriorated. It started when a Sikh leader named Nijjar was shot dead in Canada. Born in India, Nijjar immigrated to Canada and became a well-known Sikh leader in British Columbia. India had listed him as a ** accusing him of being associated with the "Khalistan Movement". But his supporters denied the accusations, arguing that he was a peaceful man.
Nijjar is the third Sikh celebrity to die unexpectedly in Canada in recent months. His death sparked controversy in countries such as Canada, and some Sikhs suspected India** of involvement. India** has denied the claim, calling it baseless.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met informally with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit this month. Trudeau referred to Nijjar's death and asked India** to cooperate with Canada to find out the truth. Modi, for his part, expressed strong concern about the Sikh separatist movement in Canada to Trudeau and accused Canada of allowing some Sikhs to glorify violence. The meeting between the two was not pleasant.
Upon his return to Canada, Trudeau announced the expulsion of a senior Indian diplomat, whom he said was suspected of involvement in the assassination of Nijjar and was the "head" of Indian intelligence in Canada. India subsequently also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in response to reciprocal and denied Canada's allegations, calling them absurd and ulterior motives.
Canada's allegations, if true, would do huge damage to India's international image, making it seen as a country that assassinates political opponents abroad, much like Saudi Arabia killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018. However, there is no conclusive evidence to prove Canada's allegations, and it is unclear whether Canada has the support and instigation of allies such as the United States.
This incident could spell problems for the United States** Biden, as he has been trying to woo India in order to counter China's influence. However, India's behavior has also made Western countries unhappy, for example, when the United States sanctioned Russian energy**, it announced that it would import more energy from Russia.
It is difficult to say whether Western countries will continue to put pressure on India. After all, India's role in the Indo-Pacific region cannot be ignored. However, the relationship between India and Canada may continue to be cold for some time.